Officials: 71-year-old covered by swarm of killer bees

A 71-year-old woman is believed to have suffered about 1,000 stings in Southern California after being attacked by a swarm of killer bees that covered her entire body.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mark Williams says the woman was expected to recover after Thursday's attack in Palm Desert. He said five firefighters were also hospitalized for stings.

A bee removal specialist told the Riverside Press-Enterprise that up to 80,000 Africanized honey bees found in an underground electrical vault stung a Verizon employee who opened the vault. Lance Davis said the bees then attacked the woman, who had just gotten out of a car nearby.

Davis said her relatives tossed a blanket over her and rushed her indoors.